Rutgers President Announces Review of Intercollegiate Athletics

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Rutgers University President Richard L. McCormick, saying important questions are being raised about the university’s Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, announced today that he is appointing a committee of prominent leaders from Rutgers and around the state to conduct a “complete and candid” review of the division’s policies and practices.

This committee will be co-chaired by:

• Alfred C. Koeppe, a 1969 Rutgers-Newark graduate, chief executive officer of the Newark Alliance, former president and chief operating officer of Public Service Electric and Gas Co., and former chair of the New Jersey Higher Education Commission
•  Albert R. Gamper Jr., a 1966 Rutgers-Newark graduate, former chairman of the Rutgers Board of Governors and retired chairman of the board of CIT Group Inc.

The remaining members of the committee will be announced shortly.

President McCormick, in his written charge to the committee, committed the full cooperation of “the administration of the University, the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, and all other offices and units at Rutgers” with the review. The president also stressed that the university will continue to cooperate fully with a July 28 request by the Office of the State Comptroller for documents concerning the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and related matters.

The president stated in his charge: “Intercollegiate athletic competition is highly important to Rutgers today and is an integral part of our mission. Thus, it is important to take account of the recent events and reports that have raised questions about the athletics program at Rutgers-New Brunswick. In the spirit of transparency and to ensure our adherence to sound business practices, I am asking you to undertake a review of, and to probe deeply, all the issues that arise in the course of this examination. The administration of the University, the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, and all other offices and units at Rutgers will be instructed to cooperate fully and promptly with your requests for information and documentation.”

McCormick also stated that the committee’s “complete and candid” review should include but not be limited to:

• the transparency of transactions and information
• contracts and relationships with sports marketing firms
•  the internal control environment within the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics.

The committee is expected to release its findings to President McCormick, the Rutgers Board of Governors, the university community and the public in early fall.

The Rev. M. William Howard Jr., chair of the Board of Governors, praised the president’s leadership. “The people of New Jersey, the university community and the Rutgers Board of Governors deserve to know all the facts. I applaud President McCormick for undertaking this important examination,” the Rev. Howard said.

“Al Koeppe is a highly respected business leader with a long track record of civic concern and commitment to New Jersey,” the Rev. Howard added. “Al Gamper is also an excellent choice. As a former CEO, alumnus of Rutgers-Newark and chair of the Board of Governors’ Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics, he brings to the process a unique blend of business acumen and university knowledge.”

Established in 1766, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is America’s eighth oldest institution of higher learning and one of the nation’s premier public research universities. Serving more than 50,000 students on campuses in Camden, Newark and New Brunswick, Rutgers offers more than 280 bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degree programs. The university is home to 27 degree-granting schools and colleges, and more than 150 specialized centers and institutes. Rutgers is also a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, a highly selective organization comprising the 62 leading research universities in North America.